IND vs AUS 2023: However great a player you might be, you need to suppress your ego at times – Rahul Dravid lauds Virat Kohli’s century

India’s head coach Rahul Dravid hailed Virat Kohli’s century after the fourth Test match against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad was drawn. Kohli scored a fine knock of 186 runs in the first innings and helped India post a massive total of 571 runs after Australia posted 480 runs.

Dravid showered praise on the former captain, stating that Kohli played according to the team’s demands. In fact, Kohli scored only five fours in his century and changed gears after reaching the three-digit mark.

This was Kohli’s 28th Test century and his 75th International hundred as he batted at his absolute best. Kohli showed all the patience in his brilliant knock as he took a total of 364 balls to score his runs.

Rahul Dravid said on Star Sports, “The one very good thing we got to see here was that however great a player you might be, you need to suppress your ego at times, which is why you score 75 centuries. As coaches, we get frustrated at times. I listen a lot that this is my style and I will play like this only.”

“In this match, a big player showed that if the situation is like that and the team is going slightly defensive and not giving you boundaries, you can score a century while playing differently and playing for the team. You hit only five boundaries in the first 100 runs.”

In fact, Dravid feels Kohli could have gotten frustrated as the runs didn’t come at a brisk pace for him but he played according to the match situation and delivered for the team.

“He could have gotten frustrated. He could have said that he would hit and dominate but he knew that the team did not require that in that situation. This is the specialty of great players.”

Dravid also hailed Rohit Sharma for his knock of 120 runs in the first innings of the first Test match at Nagpur. The Indian skipper had shown all the patience in his fine knock.

“We saw Rohit Sharma’s hundred as well in the Nagpur game. He scored quick runs on the first day and then when he came on the second day, Australia put pressure on him, and he remained a little defensive. He bided his time and then scored a century.”

India will take on Australia in the first ODI in Mumbai on Friday.